The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - The Broncos were destroyed

Episode Date: September 25, 2023

Colin reacts to the Cowboys shocking loss to the Cardinals and why Dallas is starting to look like the same ol' Cowboys Thoughts on the Broncos crushing loss to the Dolphins where they gave up 70 POINTS Thoughts on the Bears loss to the Chiefs and on how poor Chicago has been runSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go on a Monday live in Los Angeles. It's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. One hour from now where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. J. Mack, interesting Sunday and Sunday night. Big Monday night.

We don't know what's going on with Joe Burrow. Rams continue to be a surprise story, but as we are prone to do at least once every few Mondays, Dallas is a topic. Yes, I thought you would reference my green, not for my Jets. But for all the money we gave the audience, have so many great winning picks this past week. We did have a good, we have to be humble,

though I came off a two-week skid. But I will say this, Trayvon Diggs, the great corner for the Cowboys, out for the season, defense wasn't as aggressive. Dak Prescott had to play on the road and trailed. He was just ordinary, mostly. And Mike McCarthy's coaching is always up for debate.

One week after we said they're amazing, people thought they were amazing, the world fell in love with the Cowboys, here we are. I think so many people, fans and media, want Dallas to be great. To be great in this league, you need things. three things. You know what they are. A great quarterback, a great coach, and a great edge rusher, or pass rusher. Cowboys have one of those. They have a great edge rusher. I mean, if San Francisco, who has the coach and edge rusher, had a great quarterback, you could put them in the Super Bowl right now. One of the reasons we didn't overreact to Kansas City losing at home to Detroit.

Great coach, great quarterback, Chris Jones would come back. Those are the elements you need. And right now, is okay at head coach, and they're fine. Sometimes they're fine B plus at quarterback. But there's a big gap between great and okay and fine. And I think, but DAC is, he's smart. His intangibles are great. He's a leader. He's charming.

He's charismatic. He's likable. But I think, you know, last night is yesterday afternoon is kind of symbolizes what DAC is. Dak last year, 15th and passer rating, smack dab in the middle of of the league. This year, he's 16th in passer rating. Smack dab in the middle of the league. Do you know what Dak's career passer rating is? 17th smack dab in the middle of the league. And now, no more Zeke in his prime, very dependent downfield on C.D. Lamb. Tide end, they're okay,

not special. O line was missing three starters. So what happens? They're real clunky in the red zone. Again, there's a big gap between fine, okay, pretty good, and great. You saw Buffalo yesterday. It's pretty clear Buffalo is becoming great again. Kansas City's great again. You know, Baltimore now, all banged up, great elements. They got to get healthy. But you can see it every week.

Mike McCarthy went into this season saying, I want to run the football more. That's not what Andy Reid says. That's not what Sean McDermott says because they, have great. Now, again, Arizona's better than we thought. They are not the worst team in the league. Joshua Dobbs, pretty fun quarterback. May not build around him, certainly capable. Good kid. Players love him, plays hard. They're sneaky good at home. The good thing about Dallas, though, they got 10 wins written all over him with this defense, but that defense won't be as aggressive now, is that at least Dak Prescott is always accountable, and that's why we like him so much.

This is the reality of Dallas when they get banged up going on the road against a sneaky good, surprisingly good Arizona team at least at home. But we want them to be good. We want them to be great. It doesn't mean they are. So yesterday, Denver, I must have overvalued Denver significantly. There's a bunch of things with Denver. I have a rule.

I haven't used it in a while. Say it out loud. If something doesn't sound right. right. It's probably not right. So say out loud, new very wealthy ownership, new outspoken head coach. Gotta fix the culture. GM stays from a previous regime and an aging star quarterback that was never beloved in the locker room apparently in Seattle. It doesn't sound like a quick fix. Denver bought this house. Sean maybe thought it needed some touch-ups,

and now he's got a mold issue and a leaky basement, and he doesn't know how to fix it, and that Russell Wilson contract is hanging over the franchise like a roof that needs fixing in a year, and you may not have the funds for it. This is not a quick fix. And Denver quit yesterday. Now, Miami is fantastic.

They are fantastic. Best team in the league said it last week. I'll tell you now, I'll say it tomorrow on Herd Hierarchy. It's the best team in the league. The coaching, sensational. The speed, two is upright. They're not great everywhere. O-line's okay.

Miami's a great football team right now. They are terrific. But did I overvalue the roster? Yeah, did I overvalue the quarterback? Yeah, did I overvalue the coach? I don't think so. But since Peyton Manning retired, this team, this franchise has the fifth worst record. So Fox had Sean Payton.

He loved L.A. He loved Fox Sports. I thought he was going to sign for three or four years and wait for the Chargers job to open, which it probably should be open soon. But head coaches, especially smart ones with the Super Bowl, get restless. Big money talks. The owners for the Broncos are rolling in lettuce. And so it happened.

But I will say this. Sean Payton's side of the ball has gotten better. They're averaging six points more a game. A touchdown's a lot in the NFL. Russell Wilson's passer rating is up 15 points. He's not the only issue, though I don't see a lot of jobs. juice in the second half with him. The defense has regressed badly. The Nuggets are going to continue to be a great NBA team. This is obviously not a quick

fix. Let's be honest. Nick Sariani. It was year two. Mike McDaniel, year two. Look how good they are. Belichick, year two. Pete Carroll, seven and nine, seven and nine, eleven and five. Year three. People forget this. You think Kyle Shanahan walked into San Francisco. Yeah, he did. He went 6 and 10 and 4 and 12. It was year three with Kyle Shanahan. A very sophisticated offense, structure, and culture.

It was year three that the guy that we perceive now is the best offensive coach, in a short list, if not the best, took three years in San Francisco, a historically well-run franchise that had some good players. Sean McDermott, year three Buffalo, 10 and 6 had their quarterback on their way. Some of this stuff sounds easy. But Pete Carroll, Belichick, Pete Carroll, you know, Sean McDermott's viewed as a good coach, Kyle Shanahan. It's not an easy fix. This house has a lot more issues than we thought.

I think I overvalued the roster. I've liked this roster for years. Maybe it's just not as good as I think. Maybe it's not. Sean Payton after was embarrassed. Just about, I mean, 70 points, to surrender 70 points, I went to a high school that didn't have a great program. I don't think anybody scored 70 on us. So it is ugly.

But I think I will say this, J-Mack, and we do this from time to time. I'm guilty of it. Even with great coaches, you know, McVeigh is very unique. He saved a franchise, got good immediately. Siriani, McDermott, Kyle Shanahan, Pete Carroll. You know, it's different. Mike Tomlin took over a great franchise. They had a great culture.

Bill Coward of Tomlin. That's different. This thing needed a lot of fixing. I think I overvalued a lot of what was there. I look at Cortland Sutton. I look at the left tackle. I look at Jerry Judy. I look at Russell Wilson.

Patrick Sertan. They have a handful. You know what they are? They're a little bit of a puzzle and the pieces don't quite fit. And the defense has regressed strangely overnight. You seem to be making this a lot about Denver. I don't know, Colin. This, to me, is the Miami Dolphins are just a juggernaut offensively.

I mean, you know, the Broncos have 69 points this season. Okay? Miami scored 70 yesterday. Like, I don't think Denver's that bad. And by the way, they're already taking money for week four against the Chicago Bears on the road. So, like, I don't know that Denver's in that bad of shape. It just looks. You give up 700 yards and 70 points.

It looks really bad. Yeah. So we have good stuff today. Colin Wright, Colin wrong, top of next hour. all sorts of stuff. Jordan Love looked pretty interesting. Justin Fields is the N-N-N-N-N-ear. That's a mess.

And maybe it's not all on him. That's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the Podcasts Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement

to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

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And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now.

Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, we say it often on this show, half of the first round quarterbacks. This is the first round quarterbacks.

These are the good ones. These are the one all of the scouts admire, get all worked up over. Half don't work. And about 5% are able to overcome. And that's a key word. Chicago makes it tough on young quarterbacks. It's a defensive coach, a defensive culture. I don't know the last time they had a great old line.

Now, Josh Allen is gifted enough in Buffalo that he's overcome O line and running back issues. Justin Fields isn't Josh Allen. Joe Burrow. How about Kenny Pickett? Great defense, great organization. Okay, the Bears are neither. So Kenny Pickett can win with real limitations. Josh Allen can win when they don't surround him with perfect offensive weapons.

But that's not just in field scenario. The Bears have not been well run. The Bears have not been well run in a long, long time. Who am I supposed to trust? Go back to 2000. The Bears have made the playoffs back-to-back seasons one time. Chaos is always right behind him in the rearview mirror. I don't know if Jordan Love is very good in Green Bay,

but I know they don't have chaos. They don't overspend on free agents. They draft and develop. And they do a really good job with quarterbacks, dating back to Bart Starr and Brett Fav and Aaron Rogers. They stay at a chaos in Green Bay. They set you up to succeed. I don't think Jordan Love is great. I don't. But Justin Fields has been set up to fail. In college,

he played at Ohio State. Five-star players everywhere relied on his athleticism often. In Chicago, he doesn't have players around him. We don't know about the coaching. I suspect it's just not good enough. And he's not developed into a very good pocket thrower. So he was set up to fail. And remember, 90% of these first round quarterbacks, forget the second, third round guys. 90% of the first round guys are not good enough to overcome. I mean, yesterday, this weekend, Trevor Lawrence had three beautifully thrown balls dropped. He got routed at home by the Texans. Very few Andrew Lux out there. Very few John Elways. They don't exist. Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, those are generational talents. In Chicago, they force you to overcome. I would

argue today that if you go to the last 20 years, Chicago is one of the bottom five places in the league for a young quarterback. Really cold, windy, northern weather. Doesn't help. You need a real strong arm there. It's a defensive culture. They're still celebrating the 85 bears. It's old school ownership. And the Green Bay Packers usually have a Hall of Famer at quarterback. It's not a coincidence that Kansas City has had great coaches multiple times. The Hunt family. Dick Vermeal, Herm Edwards, Andy Reed, Marty Schottenheimer, Hank Stram. They've also had Len Dawson, Patrick Mahomes, Alex Smith, Trent Green got to the playoffs, Joe Montana. It's not a coincidence. Certain organizations have better ownership,

more stability. They're ahead and progressive. They're not old school. And behind Chicago's old school ownership still worships defense. Kansas City's ahead of the curve on offense have been for years. And so there are just are organizations in this league. Washington's been another one that make it really hard on young quarterbacks, forcing them to overcome and overcome. I mean, Trevor Lawrence has seen as his success. His first coach didn't work.

Had to overcome. This year, protection, drop passes, had to overcome. they're scrapping and struggling. My guess is they'll turn it around. But I feel like the bears are analog in a digital world, and they just make it hard. And Justin Fields, though talented, isn't generationally gifted like a Josh Allen to overcome all the hurdles they put in front of you.

I don't know if Jordan loves any good. There's not a lot of hurdles. Aaron Jones is great. Good old line. They're not even healthy now, and you can win. great home field advantage, excellent front office, Green Bay drafts and develops. They don't rush you. They draft you.

You sit for multiple years. I mean, the pressure is like this year within the organization. They kept saying, don't rush him. It's going to be slow and steady. They say the right things. They draft. They do the right things. Chicago makes it really, really hard.

And I just think Justin Fields is the league average, which is 90% of these guys are just not gifted enough to overcome stuff. Cincinnati for years has made it hard. Carson Palmer at one point said, I'm out. I'm over it. Right? J-Mack with the news. No, no, no, no.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, Colin, let's get started with that Sunday night football game, Raiders Steelers. We called this one early in the week. We love Pittsburgh. All the money came against us on the Raiders, and then you watch a game, and Pittsburgh's by far of the vastly superior team. But what this came down to was a job.

Josh McDaniel's decision, Colin, to kick a field goal inside the 10-yard line with two and a half minutes left. Didn't love it. McVaniel's, it was fourth and four from the eight. He sends out the field goal unit thinking, we'll get the ball back. And you know how that worked out. McDaniels defended the decision saying they would have needed another possession anyway. Well, my takeaway watching this is you can make an argument for getting the ball back with 50 seconds. they had all their timeouts, right, and a two-minute warning.

But the Steelers defense is so good and so aggressive that my rule is if I'm facing a great defense and Pittsburgh qualifies and I get it inside the 10, I'm going to stay there and go for it. It's so hard to get inside the 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys pre-Travon Diggs injury, that when you get there, there's no guarantee you're getting back and marching down the field. So go for the touchdown. Again, if Pittsburgh was a really, this was a shootout, then I think you can justify it. When you're facing Tomlin, T.J. Watt, that defense, and you get

close, just go for it. There's basically statistically very little chance that Jimmy G. With so-so protections marching back down the field. The only defense of McDaniels, and it's very thin and flimsy, is the possession before they scored the touchdown, remember, and got the two-pointer. Steelers get the ball and what do they do? Three and out instantly. And, you know, maybe McDaniels is like, you know, I don't think Matt Canada and Kenny Pickett can get another first down. Well, they dialed up the perfect play on third down.

They did. Perfect play to Alan Robinson, who's still in the league, I guess. I didn't even know that. That's a tough loss for the Raiders. But let's be real, they're not a good team. Right? Would you? I did not see anything.

Three quarters. As I watched this yesterday, you know, my takeaway, I wrote this down at home. outside of about eight NFL franchises, everybody should draft a quarterback. Even teams like Pittsburgh, I draft another one, third, fourth round, giants with Daniel Jones contract. Dallas doesn't have to because they got Trey Lance. But the league continues to change every rule to help offense. 70% of this league struggles to move the ball consistently.

Again, I don't know that it's always. always the quarterback. The guy who's calling the plays, and again, we've said this now, Miami, when you watch them, they're doing things totally differently than this, this Raiders, Steelers' offense, it looked archaic. It's basically not a lot of pre-snap motion, handoffs, like, regular stuff. Miami and San Francisco are scheming up, like, totally different offenses. You've got to find the quarterbacks to match that. Speaking of ugly, I got to stop talking about this team, the New York Jets. They lost their 15th straight to the Patriots. Well, hey, listen, they almost won this on a hail Mary.

That is total nonsense, Colin. They had no offense. Like, the Miami Dolphins ran for more yards. One player, then the Jets had offense the entire game. Some guy had never heard of for the dolphins. At 200 yards rushing. Well, I've heard of him. He's fast.

But the Jets could not move the football, Colin. I looked at their drive chart. They had a 33-yard drive for a field goal. Then the 87-yard drive kind of desperate down 13-3. Other than that, they had nothing the entire game. It's interesting. I'll do this right wrong at the top of the next hour. You can go get Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan. In the end, I would just flush.

This is a bad matchup for them against Belichick. It's a bad matchup. I would just flush everything I've got was Zach Wilson, Aaron Rogers coming back, draft another quarterback. This idea to bring somebody in that Kirk Cousins is not getting this team to assume. Hold on. Hold on. Okay. I know you watch what was going on on that sideline.

Garrett Wilson losing his mind. Okay, Breece Hall last week, I got four carries. We're in week three, and the sidelines melting down. Michael Carter yelling at the running back coach. Colin, Sala's going to lose the locker room if they keep this Zach Wilson charade going. It's not going to work. Sala will lose his job 1,000% if they don't make a move and get a real quarterback. I'm not talking Carson Wentz.

Well, who? Well, I think the only play. I know you don't want to hear it, but you've got to try is to get Kirk Cousins. And you can laugh all you want. But, Colin, the reality is you got players bickering on the sideline, okay? You've got the fans booing in the second quarter because they can't move the football. You got the Kansas City Chiefs on an island game Sunday night football this week. The Chiefs just beat the Bears doors off.

Okay, Justin Fields is done as a quarterback. You see what happens in these island games. If the Jets go out and lose like 41-0, like, what's the owner going to do? The fans, they're, you get tickets for 20 bucks to this game. I'm just saying right now the Jets will lose the one. locker room if they don't bring in somebody. Don't scoff at this, man. I'm not scoffing. It's, it is, um. I hear the producers. You're laughing, okay? It's not funny. This is really spiraling, Colin. Did you see the sidelines? What's really, I, on a macro level, if you're in a league that is now

very offensive and quarterback centric, the gap between the great quarterbacks and the bad ones, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields is so great. The games look like mismatched college games. I'm going to tell you something. The takeaway I had from that game beyond Zach, I think New England drafts a quarterback. They didn't get to the red zone once. No, I think New England looks at that game

and Bill Belichick is thinking flying home. It may be a short flight. JFK to Logan, it may be a short flight. He's thinking they almost, on a handoff Hail Mary and we dominated the game. It didn't have to be pretty. And I've been a Mac Jones supporter. New England's drafting a quarterback.

Or going after a Kirk Cousins like you are. Okay, two other points. Can we just stop with the almost one on a Hail Mary? Like, stop. They did not deserve the game. They were totally unwatchable drek for the entire. It's like you even said it. Like, they're unwatchable right now.

The Jets can't move the football. And they're on Sunday at football this week. And the last thing is, just guess the line here. Patriots at Cowboys Sunday. I have already bet this game. I know those of you listen to my podcast. I would say Dallas is favored by four and a half. Line was seven last night.

Well, I would take New England with that line. I took it. Dallas is going to win the game. I just think that's too many points. Dallas is going to win the game. Hey, listen, look how great Miami is. Look how they did against New England. Yeah, New England bottled them up.

Cut their offense in half. Yeah. You trust Dak against Judon and company? Now Patriots, secondary is banged up. A lot of guys down. Patriots. A final story. This is a tough one.

College football making the first hour of the show. Ohio State Notre Dame was it. What an amazing game. Really great theater. I feel so bad for all my Notre Dame buddies. They had this game, Colin. And Ohio State drives down for the go-ahead score. Notre Dame had 10 defenders on the field at the goal line.

I know. On the final two plays. Ohio State noticed it ran right at the goal. where the 11th guy was supposed to be, and they get the touchdown at the horn. 1714. It's a gut punch for Notre Dame. Let's be real. They were the better side here.

Notre Dame was, for a majority of the game, the better side. But I will say this. And I felt the New Orleans Saints were the better side against the Packers for most of the day. But they got a break and the Packers took advantage of it. Derek Carr's injury. And Ohio State got a break and took advantage of it. Part of football is being aware. I mean, you see this in the NFL all the time.

These coaches watch a new corner come in and the quarterback picks on him. You got to give Ohio State credit. They saw deficiency and they seized the moment. Well coached teams spot substitutions, spot injuries, spot deficiencies. That's a big part of football. And Ohio State saw it and seized it. You deserve credit for that. Some of this stuff is the good staff's college and pro notice everything.

And Ohio State took advantage of it. So we banged on McDaniels for that kick the field goal in the Raiders game, okay? Freeman was asked why, like, how do you let this happen? Look, you could see the 10 guys on the screen. And Freeman said, I didn't want to run the last guy out there and risk a penalty. And Notre Dame fans are like, bro, they're on the six-inch yard line. Who cares about three? That was not a good post-game excuse.

I want to defend them. It was after a time out too, Colin. If this is their only loss, it's a great year for Notre Dame. You know what? You can lose to Ohio State. It's okay. You're allowed to lose to Ohio State, Georgia, Bama, Oklahoma. That's okay.

No one is the better side, man. And let's quickly talk about Ryan Day, just a moment. He was on the hot seat if they lose that game. I know. Jet sweep in the red zone on fourth and one. I mean, did you see that? Yep. A slow developing play in the...

What are you doing? I know. And then Ryan Day in the post game. I know you saw where he went after some. Oh, he's getting after Lou Holtz. Yeah. He was fine. I'll say this.

I know Ryan Day's kind of, not all Ohio State fans love him. Colin, his energy in that postgame interview was like that. I like that. I love it. I think the team feeds off it. J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Hurd-Lie News. Before the end of the hour, I do want to talk about Dion Sanders. Because in Colin Wright, Colin wrong, top of next hour. But I think, and I don't just think this is a Los Angeles issue, but the Chargers outplayed Minnesota yesterday and were the right side, the better team. Justin Jefferson, you knew was going to have some yards and touchdowns because that's what he does, especially at home. But so at their own 24-yard line, the Chargers on a fourth and one go for it.

I thought it was a poor decision, but I want to get into this for a second. Why do I think it's a poor decision? because Minnesota had no timeouts, had struggled increasingly in the game to protect Kirk Cousins, only had a minute 50 left, and they had to score a touchdown. Chargers led by four. I would not have gone for it. I think a defensive coach, Brandon Staley, should trust his defense. Forced Kirk Cousins with no timeouts and shaky protection to score a touchdown.

I like those odds. That's the first point. But the other one that needs to be noted, why are you giving a backup running back your least skilled offensive player? They have a great left tackle, a quarterback, multiple receivers, a talented tight end, a good center. And you're giving it to a backup running back. The Chargers could not run the football all day. What they did marvelously all afternoon was the ability for Justin Herbert to take a snap, and I mean a step back, quick throw, out to the flat, and get four yards plus.

They did it 18 times. They may have done it 25 times because Mike Williams was hurt, especially late. It was the Keenan Allen show and tight ends. That was the play. General rule in football, if you're going to go for it, use your best players. But if you're going to go for it at your own 24, Your career's on the line. A backup running back?

There's so many things that did not make sense. Jimmy Johnson was highly critical on the Fox Show after. This has been a trend with Brandon Staley. When you watch certain teams in this league, you see if Sean Payton has made Russell Wilson better, Mike McDaniel, Kyle Shanahan. You can see really good coaching. My question is, how many times in this game did the Chargers defense,

Brandon Staley is a defensive coach, shoot themselves on the foot. Twelve penalties, seemingly a half of those came in key spots against the defense. They bailed the Vikings out multiple times. This is not a well-coached team. Justin Herbert once again has to save the franchise. I think they went cheap on the coaching hire. They could have had Brian Dayball. Listen, there's a play in the NFL.

One of the knocks on Brandon Staley is he's condescending. He's young. He's sort of a note of all. I don't know him well enough to have that opinion, but I've seen it in press conferences. So Philadelphia, the Eagles, have created a play over the last year. The entire league is seemingly copying. It gets one yard every time. Justin Herbert is 6.5.2.245. He is one of the bigger quarterbacks in the league.

Just copy somebody else. Copy the Eagles. Don't think you have all the answers. It's being copied throughout the. NFL. You give it to a no-burst power running back with an O-line that could not create run support all day. What are you doing? It's one thing to not pun it to Kirk Cousins with no timeouts, make him drive 65 to 70 yards. That's one thing. Increasingly, the Chargers got pressure. That's one thing. But to use that player in that spot, that call makes absolutely no sense to me.

And it was funny because I was texting a charger fan. And I'm like, do you fire him before the flight, on the flight, or in the tarmac when you get home? Like this can't be the answer. But Justin Herbert was great. They get a tip ball, an interception in the end zone. But there are so many questions about that. After the game, Brandon Staley has no apologies for it. All right.

I'm not seeking apologies. I'm not one of those media people. I'm never seeking apologies. But I am seeking clarity. That running back, you couldn't run all day, deep in your territory, when 18 times Justin Herbert took the snap, threw it to the flat, and got plus yards, made no sense to me. Again, don't need an apology, not looking to fire coaches,

but they tried to give that game away six times. If you watch the Vikings Chargers, those were two teams trying to give the game away. One of them, we don't think that is that talented outside of Justin Jefferson. We don't think Minnesota is a super talented team. They won a lot of one possession games last year. Chargers are really good. They're really good.

They drafted good again. They found another pass rusher to go along with a bosa. They're too good to be in this situation again, a play from O and 3. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Paulie Fusco here with Donie Fusco. Yo. Of course you know us as the host of the number one rated show in all the sports talk, the Polly and Tony Fusco show. Yeah. Now the suits at Fox Sports Radio gave us this air time because they wanted us to tell you how great our show is.

Why? Yeah, instead of us doing that, let us just let our millions of fans do the talking. Yeah, play the tape. You don't know crap about sports. I mean, why am I even on this crap? Whoa, whoa, whoa. That's the wrong tape. Wrong tape. Just forget that.

Look, listen to the Paulian Tony's football. Fusco show on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered, competition. conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick you here. unpack what went down and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black. black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sunday, it's a huge doubleheader on Fox, starting with the commanders taking on Jalen Hurts and the Eagles or other regional action. Then, in America's Game of the Week,

the Patriots Battle Dak Prescott and the Cowboys or Cardinals Niners, all on Fox in the Fox Sports app. I was thinking about this yesterday. If you take out like the Jaguars, the Chargers, Mahomes in Kansas City, Philadelphia, Jalen Hertz, there's about seven to eight NFL teams. Rams have Stafford for at least two more years. He looks great. Take out about seven, eight teams in the league. I could make an argument.

Everybody else needs the draft a quarterback. I watched New England yesterday, and my takeaway is they dominate that game, and it comes down to a Hail Mary. Like, I can't believe Belichick and that staff. and I've defended Mack Jones. I can't believe they're not thinking about. Last year they drafted guards and kickers. I think it's time to draft a quarterback because I just, there's a ceiling on it.

Mac doesn't give me, I'm waiting for the move up and I just don't see it. Maybe it's early. So a lot of people are rooting for Dion Sanders. A lot of people seemingly are rooting against Dion Sanders. As always, I'm rooting for interesting. So I like what I see. But Colorado and Dion were not going to win that game at Opson. They're going to win a lot of games as long as Dion's the coach.

That's not one of them, especially missing Travis Hunter, a two-way player. Oregon has been recruiting at an elite level for eight years, ten years. Colorado's been recruiting through a portal for six months. One's a great program and one is a great story. Cinderella finally got into the tournament. and played the tar heels or the Jayhawks, and that's what it looks like. Oregon is a top 10 recruiting machine. They're a marketing promotional mecca.

They're one of the best programs on the West Coast. Only USC recruits at their level. Denver West, one program. And there are many years, Oregon out recruits them. They've won 26 out of 27 at Otson. I'm not rooting 40 on. or against him. I'm rooting for interesting, and he's made Colorado really interesting. But Oregon is deep, has an excellent history, has five-star recruits everywhere, an NFL quarterback

in Bo Nix. This was not a winnable game. And you can say, well, they were a 21-point underdog to TCU, but we hadn't seen Colorado play. We didn't know how good Shadour Sanders was, and they were a 21-point dog. This was, we know how good Shadour is. We've seen them play three times. They're three and oh, and they were still a 21 point dog. This was not a winnable game. You go look at the last six or seven coaches, Oregon's hired. They've all worked except one. Willie Taggart briefly didn't. Moved on. They all work at Oregon. Phil Knight, the money, the stadium, the uniforms, the marketing, the recruiting. It's a power football program. And Dion and Colorado are. are not there yet. You see this all the time where it's a great story. Oregon's got NFL guys

all over both sides recruiting elite O-Lineman D-Linman for eight to ten years. Mario Cristobal was a great recruiter. This Lennig guy may be a better recruiter. I mean, they've had from Chip Kelly to Mike Bellotti, these guys know what they're doing. Colorado ran into a buzzsaw. And again, you know who beats Oregon at Otson? That's, that's like a, That's like an NFL first round quarterback. That would be an SEC team or an Ohio State or a Michigan. You're not bringing Colorado into win that football game. They're not going to win that football game.

And Bo Nicks, I thought he was average at Auburn. He's pretty good. He's going to be a first or a second round draft pick. He's pretty good. So we were talking about earlier in the show about how organizations can make it easier or harder for quarterbacks. And so I was watching the Green Bay Saints game. I took the Saints to win that game, figured it would be pretty close.

And the Saints totally control the game. 17-0-0. Derek Carr goes down. Jordan Love gets a break and takes advantage of it and has a very good fourth quarter. And I will say this. I think he's a really good fit for this team. This is the youngest roster in the NFL, Green Bay. And he's one of the younger quarterbacks. It's a good fit.

He's not better than Aaron, but he's a better. fit. When Aaron would be down 17-0-0, and he was rarely down 17-0 at home, may never have been. The game was over. The body language regressed. Aaron would get in his mood, a bit standoffish, rolling his eyes, sniping at coaches. That was not Jordan Love. Maybe he doesn't have the cynicism because he's young, he's naive, he's more optimistic, whatever it is. But Green Bay games, when they went down by a couple of touchdowns and they didn't play well, it always felt like, you know, off the tap. It's over. It didn't yesterday. He did a good job. It's a completely Aaron Jones-led offense. They're not quite healthy yet. But an older, prickly set in his way, sort of Aaron Rogers,

I feel like he got into these games, just even the Packers, a well-run organization. Some Sundays you show up, everything goes wrong. And New Orleans was done. This game was over. It was 17-0. and car gets hurt, and Jordan Love just kept firing away, being optimistic, using his legs. This was a great run down the sidelines, very smartly and alertly, moves down the sideline, picks up another 10. So, again, his attitude, his energy, his focus, his optimism, it was very hopeful. I don't think he's a great quarterback, but I do think he is a great fit now for Green Bay. And I will say this.

Success at quarterback in this league is not just talent. how much of a cap hit are you? He's not much of one. Are you healthy? He is. Do you connect with teammates? He does. Are you coachable?

He is. Is he committed in the off-season? He is as well. There's a lot of things about Jordan Love you should feel very good about. They needed a break and they got one. That's okay. Ohio State needed to break and they got one. Notre Dame didn't have enough guys on the feet.

I looked at the Green Bay schedule this morning. Listen, there's a lot of Ws here. There's a lot of Ws here. Detroit, Vegas, Denver's flailing, Minnesota, Rams at home. You know, I imagine November 12th at Pittsburgh and T.J. Watts going to be a bumpy Sunday. There's a lot of wins here for Green Bay. Being a success at quarterback is not just talent. When Aaron signed that big contract at the end, there were literally.

limitations, how many other top players they could bring into the roster. That is part of it. So I sat there and I thought, I don't know if he's any good, but he's a good fit. I like the fact they came from behind. For those who don't like Derek Carr, how were the Saints with him, 17-0? How were they without him? A hundred yards of offense. Say what you want about Derek Carr, veteran quarterback, composed, completes passes, he mattered.

So what did you make a Jordan Love? Well, I told you my theory last night, right? They held out Bakhtiari, Jones, and Watson. They were trending toward playing, right? Late in the week. And I think they were holding them for this Detroit game on Thursday, which is a big game. Remember, Detroit swept them last year.

Divisional matchup. And let's be real, I look at this, I mean, I'm going to be on Green Bay Thursday. I think it's time to put some money on them to win the division. Vikings are toast, bears or forget it. And I think this Green Bay team, listen, that's a good comeback. down 17 nothing? By the way, how about LaFleur? Going for two to make it 1711?

A lot of people are like, what's he doing? What's he doing? He wanted to win the damn game. And that's a great call by him, man. Got to give him props. How about this? Look at the bears who continue to lean to mostly defensive coaches. And then you look at the Packers.

Holmgren, McCarthy, Matt LaFleur, offense, offense, offense, star quarterbacks. Just look at Chicago. young quarterbacks do and look at Green Bay. Green Bay drafts them multiple years. They can sit and learn the system. Then they get an offensive coach. They always get good offensive line. Green Bay does offense right. They're not always the flashiest. But Jordan Love, if he fails, it will be because of Jordan Love. Justin Fields, there's a lot of reasons he's flailing. Jordan Love, line, weapons, coaching, continuity. Green Bay,

is a really well-run business. Chicago isn't. Colin Wright, Colin Wrong. Hour two next. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an

a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.